Permits & Licences
Temporary and Mobile Food Businesses
Step 1 - Which council do you contact?
Step 2 - Registration or notification?
Step 3 - Applying to register or notify your temporary or mobile food business
Step 4 - Advising council when and where you are operating (lodging a statement of trade)
Temporary Community Advertising Signage
General information
From 1 July 2011, a new state-wide registration and notification system has been introduced for temporary and mobile food premises.
The benefit of this system is that you will only need to apply for registration once a year with one council or notify one council of your activities. You can then operate as many times as you like throughout Victoria, by simply telling each council of your intention to trade.
This system applies to both businesses and community groups.
Temporary food premises are temporary stalls or marquees from which food is sold, such as at a market or festival.
Mobile food premises are vehicles such as vans, trailers or carts from which food is sold.
The following steps explain what is required to register or notify your food business:
Step 1 - Which council do you contact?
Under the new system, one council is reponsible for approving your food handling operations. This is the council which you will deal with most and is known as your principal council. Your principal council is the council in whose district:
- you prepare or store food that is to be sold at the stall or van; or
- if food is not usually prepared or stored beforehand by the business, the district in which you usually store the equipment for your stall or garage your van; or
- if neither of the above apply - the district where the usual business address for your organisation is located; or
- if none of the above are in Victoria - the district in which the stall or van will first operate.
Step 2 - Registration or notification?
The Food Act 1984 groups food businesses into different classes based on the food safety risks associated with the food handling operations. There are different food safety requirements for each class.
Class 1, 2 and 3 food business are required to register with their principal council. Registration must be renewed annually.
Class 4 food business must provide a once off notification to their principal council of their activities.
Temporary and mobile food premises will be either class 2, 3 or 4.
As a general guide:
| Class | Food handling activities | Registration or notification | Food safety program | Food safety supervisor |
| 2 | Preparing and serving unpackaged potentially hazardous food which requires temperature control such as sandwiches, hamburgers, pasta dishes, rice dishes, curries etc. | Registration | Required | Required |
| 3 | Handling unpackaged low risk food or prepackaged potentially hazardous food such as cut fruit, bread and low risk bakery items, prepackaged pies and sausage rolls, or prepackaged cakes with cream filling. | Registration |
Not required Minimal records required |
Not required |
| 4 | Handling prepackaged low risk food such as bottled jams and sauces; confectionery; uncut fruit and vegetables; simple sausage sizzles. | Notification | Not required | Not required |
Contact your principal council to discuss your food handling activities and confirm what classification your business is.
Step 3 - Applying to register or notify your temporary or mobile food business
If the City of Port Phillip is your principal council, please contact the Health Services Unit so that we can assist you through the process and ensure your classification is correct and the right form is completed.
Application forms:
Application to register a temporary food premises
Notification forms:
Notification of a temporary food premises
Notification of a mobile food premises
Please contact ASSIST on (03) 9209 6777 and ask for the Health Services Unit. Application and Notification forms can be sent to Health Services Unit, City of Port Phillip, Private Bag 3, St Kilda 3182.
Step 4 - Advising council when and where you are operating (lodging a statement of trade)
Once your principal council has registered or accepted the notification of your temporary or mobile food premises you must inform all relevant councils of your intention to trade.
This is done by lodging a statement of trade (SOT) form with each council where you will be operating at least 5 days prior to the event.
A copy of all SOTs must also be given to your principal council.
Statement of trade for temporary food premises
Statement of trade for mobile food premises
If you are operating within the City of Port Phillip please lodge the SOT by sending it to the Health Services Unit, City of Port Phillip, Private Bag 3, St Kilda 3182 or fax to (03) 9536 2720.
Other council permits
The single state-wide registration system only applies to the requirements under the Food Act.
You will also need to contact the relevant local council to gain permission to operate in a public place or on council land.
If you are planning to operate in the City of Port Phillip, please contact us or use eServices to obtain the necessary permits.
Temporary Community Advertising Signage
See the Temporary advertising application kit.
More Information
Contact us or use eServices to ask us a question, request information or give us feedback online. Ask for the Healh Services department.
